The median APACHE II score of the included patients was 13, ranging from 7 to 33. All patients were mechanically ventilated in a pressure control mode with positive end expiratory pressure ranging from 5 to 15 and an inspiration pressure ranging from 15 to 40 cmH2O. We divided patients into two groups: one included patients with EVLW < 10 and one included patients with EVLW of 10 or more. In the group with EVLW ≥ 10, we saw a higher mortality rate compared with the group with EVLW < 10 (35.5% vs 23.8%). In both groups we found no correlation in length of ICU admission, length of mechanical ventilation or the APACHE II score with EVLW.

Although we found an association between EVLW and mortality in surgical critically ill patients, we could not confirm a relation between EVLW and length of ICU admission and length of mechanical ventilation in the patient population we studied.